Many people experience difficulty in sleeping because of breathing problems. These problems may result in snoring, or the more serious condition of sleep apnea.
One treatment for serious sleep breathing disorders involves application of constant positive air pressure ("CPAP") to the patient. This CPAP is delivered through a face mask, nose mask, or nasal inserts and results in opening of the patient's breathing passageway. The CPAP pressure must be increased for more serious conditions. Face masks for delivering CPAP are commonly secured to the patient's head with an adjustable or elastic strap. As the patient moves during sleep, the face mask often shifts and unseats from the patient's face, resulting in a loss of pressure from the CPAP, or awakening of the patient.
Another treatment for sleep breathing disorders involves the use of dental devices for extending forward the lower jaw of the patient. These devices operate to more fully open the breathing passageway, thereby allowing for easier breathing, whether that breathing be through the nose or through the mouth. These dental devices treat snoring problems very well, but may not sufficiently treat more serious cases, such as some sleep apnea cases.
Therefore, a need has arisen for a device that will allow for more efficient treatment of breathing disorders during sleep, and which will assist in maintaining the proper seating of a CPAP face mask.